Momentum Asia are offering a bumper prize to Celebrate the release of Samurai Commando on the 15th May. The winner will receive a DVD goody bag featuring recent Momentum titles;
Samurai Commando Divergence, Born to Fight, The Bodyguard, Silverhawk. Two runners up will receive a copy of Samurai Commando. To enter, just click to our competition page and answer one simple question! Good Luck! (UK entrants only)

Coming soon to the DVD market is Samurai Commando.
Finally it's the battle we've all been waiting for as an army of tanks and helicopter gunships travel back in time to take on Samurai warriors for the mother of all battles in the deliriously enjoyable Japanese sci-fi action blockbuster Samurai Commando, out 15th May from Momentum Asia and yes it's a remake of the Sonny Chiba classic!!!

Today sees a new title coming from the fledgling UK label 55th Chamber. The Secret of Shaolin Poles features several big-ticket names including Yasuaki Kurata and Meng Fei. Ross reviews this budget title based on the legend of Fong Sai-Yuk.

Snuff Bottle Connection starred two of the all-time great super-kickers; Hwang Jang Lee and John Liu. To make it even more exciting, it was choreographed by the legendary Yuen Woo Ping! Read on to see our preview for Soulblade'sforthcoming release of this classic old-skool martial arts titles

Samurai films are as much a staple of Japanese cinema as Westerns are to Hollywood. Despite their popularity peaking decades ago, the samurai pics never went away, with modern examples including When the Last Sword is Drawn, Gohatto, Kitano's Zatoichi remake and the Oscar nominated Twilight Samurai. To see what Ross thought of Optimum Asia's latest release. Gojoe, check out his latest review

Korea continues to churn out some great movies and the major UK labels are certainly starting to take note. Following in the recent wave of Korean releases comes Ha Yu's Once Upon a Time in High School. Billed as a film that invokes the Spirit of Bruce Lee, we examine whether this latest title from Premier Asia is as deadly as the legend Bruce himself!

Tony Leung is now one of the most bankable names in Hong Kong Cinema thanks to his recent effors in Hero, Infernal Affairs and 2046. In Seoul Raiders, Tony spearheads a semi-sequel to Ekin Chen's Tokyo Raiders under the eccentric helm of director Jingle Ma. Find out what Ross thinks about this recent Hong Kong Legends release!

Initial D: Driftracer did nothing short of annihilate the HK box office in 2005, setting new records for openings and picking up several awards at the HK Film Awards later in the year. This title is now getting a theatrical release in the UK on April 28 2006, courtesy of the Contender Entertainment Group

Studio Ghibli has achieved a new level of international acclaim with hit releases Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. We now look back at some of the staggering late eighties work that has been recently released in the UK. Grave of Fireflies is one of the most moving and powerful anime productions from Studio Ghibli and it has been given a superb double-disc treatment from Optimum

Korea has been a hot market for new stars and international hits in the last few years. The likes of Old Boy and Brotherhood have put the Korean film industry firmly on the map. Ross Taylor has a look at the forthcoming double disc DVD of Crying Fist on the Premier Asia label

Established independent distributor of "old school" martial arts movies, Soulblade Distribution, has joined forces with the UK's premier distributor of budget DVDs, Prism Leisure, to create a brand new DVD label 55TH CHAMBER. Launching in April 2006, 55TH CHAMBER will be dedicated to releasing the very best of Hong Kong's old school martial arts films, all retailing at the fan-and collector-friendly price of £7.99.

The stars of the hugely popular "Secret Rivals" - Wong Tao and Liu Chung-Liang - are reunited in DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU as a pair of Ming patriots fighting to prevent the Ching army from crossing the Formosa Straits to attack what remains of the defeated Ming forces. Boasting a series of ferocious and terrifically choreographed fight sequences, the film is an action-packed showcase for two of the most skilled martial artists proponents in Hong Kong cinema.

PRODIGAL BOXER 2: SECRET OF SHAOLIN POLES stars Meng Fei as the legendary Chinese folk hero, Fong Sai Yuk, who is forced to take on a variety of assassins hired by a ruthless governor to avenge Yuk's killing of one of his men. A cult favourite amongst martial arts fans, it features some of the most breathtaking shaolin pole fighting ever committed to film.

Another cult classic, the Jackie Chan-style action-comedy MY KUNG FU 12 KICKS stars Shaw Brothers veteran Bruce Leung as a lowly pickpocket compelled to learn a secret new form of kung fu in order to avenge the murder of his girlfriend. Placing the star's incredible acrobatic fighting skills to the fore, MY KUNG FU 12 KICKS is regarded as one of the best films of Leung's career.

Following the April launch, 55TH CHAMBER will then release three DVD titles per month with future highlights to include, ATTACK OF THE JOYFUL GODDESS (22nd May), DRAGON LEE'S WAYS OF KUNG FU (19th June), ARHAT'S IN FURY (19th June) and MAR'S VILLA (17th July).

Announcing the launch Dharmesh Patel, managing director of Soulblade Distribution, said, "We have a strong product range and have access to hundreds of Modern Hong Kong Cinema titles; 55th Chamber has a clear plan for the next three years at least."

Prism's Marketing Director Adrian Turner added "We are delighted to be working so closely with Soulblade on this great selection of landmark Martial Arts classics throughout the Summer and beyond. These titles tap perfectly into the ongoing obsession with cult Asian cinema, and perfectly complement Prism's existing ranges of full-price and budget DVDs."

Forget all the other Hong Kong superstars combined - Stephen Chow once had a complete monopoly on the Hong Kong box office. In 1992 he was in all the top five grossing films of the year! King of Beggars was one of these movies, featuring him as a likeable rogue with the ever dependable Ng Man-tat in support.

Miike's place in cinema's Hall of Fame is already guaranteed. He has managed to entertain, dazzle and shock millions of viewers with his uncompromising and unique style. Ross takes a look at one of his more accomplished titles, Agitator, which is available in the UK on the Tartan label

If you enjoyed Ong-Bak or Born to Fight, it may be worth hunting down The Bodyguard. Featuring the now familiar faces on the Thai action movie scene, and a cameo performance from Tony Jaa, this recent release from Momentum gets reviewed by Ross.

A big welcome to Ross Taylor, who has just started contributing to HKCinema. His debut review provides the low-down on Ronny Yu's iconic The Bride with White Hair. Featuring Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung, this dark fantasy epic has remained a favourite for critics and moviegoers since its release over a decade ago.

Tsui Hark returns to the world of wuxia (swordplay) with the much hyped 'Seven Swords' in 2006. With an illustrious career (Zu, Once Upon a Time in China, Swordsman) any big budget Tsui Hark film will come burdened with expectation. This only increases further when you add Donnie Yen and Lau Kar Leung to the cast-list!

Sadly, Seven Swords is far from a classic. To find out why - read the HKCinema review - click here

After two months of moving home and having no broadband - we are back online!

2006 will be an exciting new year for Hong Kong Cinema. Plenty of new reviews, articles and additional content. Plus there will be loads of new Hong Kong action available to fans of the genre - including more Celestial, Tai Seng and HKL discs and several notable UK cinematic releases (Jackie Chan's The Myth and New Police Story, Seven Swords, Sha Po Lang etc etc).

Keep coming back for updates, competitions and much more!

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